celestial strings | h.js

one.

"And I'm Felix!"

Your eyes widened at the shorter boy who popped up from behind Seungmin. Damn, there were just more and more of them!

Awkwardly, you gave them both a nod of acknowledgment before you said, "My name is [Name]."

"And that one over there is Hyunjin," Seungmin motioned over to the black-haired boy, who gave you a sweet smile as he continued to struggle with the loose headlock Jisung was desperately trying to put him in.

Seungmin rolled his eyes at the two, inwardly fed up with their morning antics but not having the energy to break them apart. He spent most of his time finishing multiple assignments yesterday night. He as not an ounce of energy for fun. "Those two are always on about something. They can get pretty physical with each other."

Felix snorted at the mistranslated connotation, causing Jisung to finally let go of Hyunjin and return his attention to you three. He was frowning, embarrassment mixed with annoyance crossing his face when he approached you once again, giving Seungmin a glare in the process.

"Can you not say it like that?" Jisung complained, crossing his arms with a scoff.

"There is nothing wrong with the way I said it. You just took it the wrong way," Seungmin shrugged. "There is also nothing wrong with what I said. Who cares, seriously?"

Jisung grumbled under his breath, his pout more permanent now as he sulked with shrunken shoulders. He was feeling down about the fact that Hyunjin ruined such a nice moment you two were sharing. What you said was a token of your acceptance, or at least he took it that way. You telling him that he could stay by your side meant that you really have become decided you would no longer suffer alone.

But that was ruined now. And then the rest of his friend group went ahead and joined in when he could have just tried to shoo Hyunjin away so he could resume talking to you about anything.

Seeing his sudden grim state, you raised a brow and reached out to pat his arm. When Jisung looked at you, you tilted your head, your eyes asking all the questions you needed to ask, and Jisung replied the same way you asked him: with his soul leaping through the windows of his eyes. It was a conversation without words, and that alone showed a kind of bond all his friends could see has grown to be close-knitted and sacred in some way.

"Oh my god, Hyunjin! I think you might have jinxed it when you said soulmates," Felix mentioned quietly, his eyes fixated on you both when you gave Jisung's arm another nudge to make him smile. His heart was pounding, his head wandering off into a romantic space as he imagined one day when he could find someone he could talk to by just looking at them.

"Again? Felix, don't be ridiculous." Seungmin waved his hand dismissively. "Soulmates don't exist."

The words hung on the top of Seungmin's tongue, and somehow the words felt wrong when he looked at you two again. The way Jisung was looking at you and the way he was smiling at you—Seungmin didn't see it, he felt it. It was different; his eyes crinkled a little more than usual so the space within could only hold your image, his lips quirked without effort to show how euphoric he feels just being there with you.

The way Jisung looked at you was different than the way he looked at everyone else. And the more he looked, the more Seungmin wondered if Jisung knew that himself.

A tap on his shoulder shook him out of his thoughts, and Seungmin barely turned his head over to the person in response. Felix breathed out a short laugh when he saw the gaze Seungmin had fixed on you and Jisung, uncertain as to why he was suddenly so concentrated but knowing it was something he could tease him about anyway. Felix smacked Seungmin's shoulder harshly to gain his full attention, rolling his eyes playfully when Seungmin glared at him.